Jen Robinson's Book Page

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: January 31: #GraphicNovels, #ReadYourWorld, and (Sigh) #Homework

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #ALAYMA, #BookLists, #DiverseBooks, #Diversity, #GraphicNovels, #Homework, #introversion, #JoyOfReading, #LoveOfBooks, #Mathical, #MentalHealth, #Phonics, #ReadYourWorld, #ScreenTime, #STEM, reading, and schools. 

Top Tweets of the Week

Planning for Another Year of Reading | @sljournal @donalynbooks shares thoughts on rejuvenating students’ enthusiasm for #reading during the winter blahs http://ow.ly/vY3z30qcfun #JoyOfReading

Further validation that YES, #GraphicNovels are real, high-quality books. Congratulations to @JerryCraft + @HarperChildrens

RT @JHarrisReads: I am so excited about NEW KID by @JerryCraft winning the #Newbery award. This is such an amazing book #graphicnovel #GISDLibraries #txlcaht #alamw20

Book Lists + Awards

2020 Youth Media Award Winners | @amlibraries #ALAYMA http://ow.ly/VDlH30qcJzZ #kidlit #BookAwards @JerryCraft @AS_King @KadirNelson @kwamealexander @StudioJJK + lots more!

This piece by @nycschlibrarian highlights the many #GraphicNovels recognized in this year's ALA Youth Media Awards. So wonderful! http://ow.ly/JaLM30qcYrg #ALAYMA @GoodComics4Kids @ALALibrary

RA RA Read: Categorized roundup of Pink and Fancy #PictureBooks (now with unicorns!) | from Jennifer at Jean Little Library http://ow.ly/xu4g30qcunN #BookList

Children's Books for 9-13 Year Olds that Address #MentalIllness http://ow.ly/ONkM30qcJzh #kidlit #BookList from @momandkiddo

25 Books To Get Your Tween Talking – from #FunnyBooks to #VerseNovels to #Nonfiction + more, well-organized #BookList from #librarian@literacious https://t.co/dq4pY6lQOx?amp=1

Events, Programs + Research

An intro to Multi-Cultural Children's Book Day (This Friday) from @gail_gauthier http://ow.ly/gVGN30qcE6I #ReadYourWorld #DiverseBooks #OwnVoices @pragmaticmom @valariebudayr_

Growing Bookworms

#GraphicNovel Reading is Real #Reading! (and now we have a Newbery winner to back it up!) – #SchoolLibrarian @MrBenjiMartin http://ow.ly/s5Rq30qdpO7 "The only way to get (kids) to love reading is to give them books that they love", like GNs

Don't Leave #SportsBooks Out of the Game: For some students they are a window to the world + a spark for a lifetime #JoyOfReading by @trublu24 @nerdybookclub https://t.co/5kQUK6oTd1?amp=1

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

Ripping Books In Half and Other #Reading Taboos. I'm w/ @shirleyannemcm @AwfullyBigBlog on letting most of this type of thing go http://ow.ly/fl6B30qcung Just focus on #JoyOfReading, I say

How two women quietly reading books in an SF bar started an introvert revolution - @SFGate http://ow.ly/DWBg30qcEo0 #SilentBookClub #introversion #reading

Parenting + Mental Health

Research refutes link between tech / #ScreenTime + teen #MentalHealth problems says @larrymagid @mercnews http://ow.ly/yvha30qctWk | Don't ignore risks of #SocialMedia but don't conclude tech is the only factor

This makes sense to me: Why #procrastination is about managing emotions, not time. The task is one that makes us feel bad in some way - @Psych_Writer @BBC_Worklife http://ow.ly/6yxX30qcfxH #habits

Schools and Libraries

Should Kindergartners and Young Kids Have #Homework in Elementary School? This article (w/ updates about efforts around the country) says no + offers ammunition for parents http://ow.ly/mZJO30qdplv @goodhousemag @gailcornwall

Preservice Teachers Are Getting Mixed Messages on How to Teach #Reading - @madeline_will @educationweek http://ow.ly/M0xt30qcujS #Phonics

Rann Miller @UrbanEdDJ argues that A Truly Diverse School is one w/ diverse teachers, guidance counselors + texts (not just students of color) http://ow.ly/1mOG30qcEfW #Diversity @EducationNext

According to @Gallup in U.S., 2019 #Library Visits (avg. 10.5/yr) Outpaced Trips to the Movies by nearly 2X http://ow.ly/O2Kr30qcfIx | One would certainly hope so! But did kids spend more time #reading than watching video on screens?

STEM

Press Release Fun: @sljournal + MSRI Launch #Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards to purchase books that inspire a love of #math for Title I schools — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/g3gh30qdpVE #BookAccess #STEM

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: January 24: #BookLists, #GraphicNovels + #BrainScience

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #Audiobooks, #BookAwards, #BookLists, #BrainScience, #Cybils, #eBooks, #EdReform, #EducationalEquity, #GiftedEducation, #GraphicNovels, #JoyOfReading, #ReadingAloud, and parenting. 

Top Tweet of the Week

Why You Should Encourage Your Child's Love of #GraphicNovels | "They have to do the work ... to understand the full story" + lots more http://ow.ly/kp4X30qbTcW #JoyOfReading @goraina @parentsmagazine

Book Lists + Awards

It’s Book Awards Season: Don’t Miss the #CybilsAwards http://ow.ly/arkY30qbl2L | @TheReadingTub has the scoop on this #kidlit #BookAward honoring literary quality + reader enjoyment

Beyond the Youth Media Awards, #BookLists for Kids and Teens – @literacious http://ow.ly/UQaq30qbTgX #ALAYMA @yalsa  @ALALibrary

Great stuff! 50 Best #MiddleGrade Novels of the 21st Century per @semicolonblog http://ow.ly/Ceeb30qaQbg | Sherry breaks out her overlap w/ similar #BookLists from @ALA_Booklist (14) + @FuseEight (3) + 33 more | #MGLit #kidlit

Book Talking 45+ 2019 #MGLit Books in 45 Minutes – #librarian @literacious shares the #BookList + presentation developed for her local middle schoolers https://t.co/GEKU29j3sP?amp=1

Events, Programs + Research

This is your child's brain on books vs #ScreenTime - Sandee LaMotte @cnnhealth http://ow.ly/3ejU30qaPY0 | #ReadingAloud to #preschoolers -> more organized white matter in language + #literacy areas

Reading #ComicBooks + #GraphicNovels can improve brain health — http://ow.ly/CEey30qaQ5K | @MaryWiddicks @qz | humans are naturally inclined toward the efficiency of visual storytelling, comics let kids strengthen brain pathways earlier + more

I'm late to share this but @JasonReynolds83 was Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature this week. His platform: "Grab the Mic: Tell Your Story" http://ow.ly/eWx630qaeV2 @PublishersWkly #kidlit

Growing Bookworms

10 Steps that Don’t Involve Points, Pizza, or Prizes to Create a School Wide Culture of Reading – Lifetime #Literacy http://ow.ly/jWW930qb9ui | Nice ideas here but I'm w/ #EsmeCodell on need to also #ReadAloud to students | #JoyOfReading

The Power of Listening by @ClareLandrigan @nerdybookclub | "We cannot forget the need to also assess the habits and dispositions of our readers" + help them "spark the #LoveOfReading "

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

I don't think it's too late for: 5 Reasons to Make #Reading Every Day Your New Year's Resolution http://ow.ly/9WnA30qarJf @BookBub | But if reading every day is good, wouldn't reading ALL DAY every day be even better? I can dream...

Public Library #Ebook + #Audiobook Use Rocketed Up 20% In 2019, powered especially by 30% rise in audio over 2018 http://ow.ly/lfeo30qaeZI @Forbes @AdamRRowe

Parenting + Play

#Parenting Isn’t Over When Kids Grow Up - Dr. Mark McConville shares tips @WSJ for supporting young adults w/out enabling them http://ow.ly/SThm30qaDnA #FailureToLaunch @PutnamBooks

Schools and Libraries

Dr. King Would Have Shined a Light on Progressive Cities where racial + economic #learning gaps are higher. http://ow.ly/S4bf30qaPTm " How can you hold your political leaders to account for “world-class cities” where many children can’t read?" #EducationalEquity @citizenstewart

‘National Parents Union’ to Challenge Political Influence of Teachers Groups | http://ow.ly/Tlv530qaBvi @laurenonthehill @usnews @NationalParents #Education #EdReform #unions

No more ‘secret handshake’: Universal screening qualifies 600 more Memphis students for #GiftedEducation, inc. higher % of black students + boys http://ow.ly/3Ja330qaBrD @Chalkbeat via @MindShiftKQED

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: January 17: Reading Bedtime Stories, Unplugging from Screens + Getting Better Sleep

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #BookLists, #FreedomToRead, #giftedness, #libraries, #ReadAloud, #ScreenTime, #ScreenFree, #SleepHabits, #STEAM, #STEM, parenting, schools, and teaching. 

Top Tweet of the Week

The Most Powerful Family Ritual? The Bedtime Story http://ow.ly/bBMG30q8wzD @Red_Tricycle #ReadAloud #GrowingBookworms

Book Lists

#SouthAsian #Kidlit 2020 - Winter Roundup from @darshanakhiani http://ow.ly/O0nV30q9d5a | by category + pub date

RA RA Read: Scary Stories from Beginning to End | Nice categorized list by age range from Jennifer Wharton http://ow.ly/zRlH30q9d1q | Includes standalone #kidlit, series, #GraphicNovels + more

Unplug with #PictureBooks about #ScreenFree #Play http://ow.ly/cHCO30q8nAc | Super-fun #BookList from @momandkiddo celebrating "the joys of putting down the iPad"

Books to Celebrate #MLKDay | 4 suggestions for different age ranges from @abbylibrarian http://ow.ly/sUiJ30q9d69 #BookList

Events, Programs + Research

Surprise! Exam scores benefit from months of regular sleep | Study finds sleep regularity accounted for nearly 1/4 of the difference among students’ grades, espec. for boys http://ow.ly/WZVg30q8P1t #SleepHabits @jrehm_sci @SNStudents

Growing Bookworms

This is delightful: Dad Builds Triple Rocking Chair So He Could Read To His 3 Kids http://ow.ly/Agdb30q93J9 #ReadAloud #JoyOfReading 

4 Ideas For Motivating Adolescent Male Readers @kennycmckee @TeachThought http://ow.ly/wOWp30q8P0S #JoyOfReading #literacy | Male #reading role models + more

School creates a library of high-quality children’s books (mainly #PictureBooks) for families to read and share at bedtime so that kids see "the joyous side of reading". I love it! http://ow.ly/RsI230q8B04 @smithsmm

This teacher was worried children weren’t getting bedtime stories. So she began reading them aloud — on Facebook. She's developed quite a following http://ow.ly/C00U30q8B2r @ByMoriah @washingtonpost

Parenting, Play + Screen Time

This is fascinating. Ron Srigley asked his college students to turn in their cell phones for 9 days + write about living w/out them http://ow.ly/niXh30q8P4V #ScreenTime #distraction @techreview via @MindShiftKQED

Schools and Libraries

Are Your Striving Readers Helping Others? How might this change their disposition towards #reading? by @TammyBMulligan @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/ned930q8AYS #GrowingBookworms

Sigh. @literacious discusses a new effort in MO to provide "parental oversight" of #PublicLibraries, in conflict w/ the @ALALibrary #FreedomToRead statement https://t.co/7VYpKbPAFC?amp=1

This is fun! 6 out of 10 of the Most Frequently Checked-Out Books in the History of the @nypl are #kidlit, topped by #TheSnowyDay http://ow.ly/XnMi30q9cZu @CharlesPassy @WSJ #libraries

Academic acceleration (by grade or by subject): When is it the right choice for your child? http://ow.ly/t0C030q9NNx #giftedness #GradeSkipping #RedShirting #play @giftedchlnges

STEM

We Need #STEAM, Not #STEM #Education, To Prepare Our Kids For The 4th Industrial Revolution (creativity + innovation) http://ow.ly/x0Cm30q9NWV @BernardMarr @Forbes

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Bookworm Moments: Shrieking with Joy because Two Characters Kiss

As regular readers know, I read aloud to my daughter while she eats breakfast on school days. We are currently working our way through the My Life series by Janet Tashjian (highly, highly recommend them). The other day, an exciting event occurred in this tween series. I won't tell you which title this occurred in, but... A Boy Kissed a Girl on the Cheek! It's true.

My daughter, who has been immersed in this series for months now, shrieked with delight. I would imagine the neighbors heard. Perhaps you heard from wherever you live. She was very loud. She also got up from her chair to hug me, simply unable to contain her joy. Of course this reaction is partly due to her age (she is almost 10). But how great is it that she was so invested in the lives of these characters that she could not contain herself? 

It was a great start to my day. Hope the story brightens yours. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: January 10: Celebrating Introverts, Nurturing #JoyOfReading + Questioning #EdTech

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #audiobooks, #BookLists, #Cybils, #EdTech, #GrowingBookworms, #homeschooling, #JoyOfReading, #poetry, #ReadAloud, #ScreenTime, and #WorldIntrovertDay. 

Top Tweet of the Week

The Answer for #Schools Is Not More #EdTech. It’s Teachers and Human Connection | @DASchwartzy @EdSurge http://ow.ly/y5OF30q6ph6 | “Could it be that parents are waking up to the realization that too much #ScreenTime is part of what ails our education system?”

Book Lists + Awards

The 2019 @CybilS Finalists were announced yesterday, winnowed by dedicated round1 panelists from 1047 nominees to 10 high-quality, kid-friendly shortlists http://ow.ly/5vqC30q6h52 #kidlit #YA #nonfiction #GraphicNovels #poetry

10 MG Sci-Fi Books with Female Protagonists for National #ScienceFiction Day, #BookList from @literacious http://ow.ly/GPk330q6hbC #MGLit + #GraphicNovels

A retrospective look at ten of @charlotteslib's favorite time travel + time slip #MGLit + #YA books from the past decade http://ow.ly/lCYV30q64u0 | her faves out of 250 reviewed in 10 years

Events, Programs + Research

Today (Jan. 2) is apparently #worldintrovertday . I can't believe I almost missed it. Luckily I missed it while working away quietly at home. Here's to all of my fellow introverts. Let's toast each other here on Twitter, instead of in person [Not a link to an article, but a peek at the many posts shared via this hashtag would be refreshing for any introvert.]

This story reminded me of the adorable #PictureBook Nobody Hugs a Cactus (which features a tumbleweed as the love interest) | Cars get trapped by tumbleweeds on a Washington state highway http://ow.ly/ssN930q6nmy @SimonKIDS

Growing Bookworms

Lovely piece on the many reasons to encourage kids to read "for the joy of it" - @CressidaCowell @BostonGlobe http://ow.ly/q4cq30q6Cuo #JoyOfReading #GrowingBookworms

A New Chapter: Turning Your Non-reader into a Reader [Guest Post by @FionaRobyn @TheReadingTub] http://ow.ly/zp7b30q7NVd | Tips for showing kids the #JoyOfReading at home

On the Joy of #ReadAloud In A 1st Grade Classroom, w/ #ChapterBook #BookList enjoyed by @McKenzieRoss20's students https://t.co/2b7ch4eIxM?amp=1

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

I love this post by @dawnafinch @AwfullyBigBlog | We're (not) going on a book hunt, or "How to stop tracking and learn to love #reading again" http://ow.ly/XnzR30q7tfH #LoveOfBooks

End of #audiobook snobbery as scientists find #reading and listening activates the same parts of the brain http://ow.ly/j3jS30q7tn6 @Telegraph via @ProfessorNana #neuroscience #ReadingChoice

Raina Telgemeier: The is Comics Industry Person of the Decade says @comicsbeat http://ow.ly/kr0a30q7O47 @goraina celebrated for #Smile + the wave of #GraphicNovels that it ushered in | She sure had a huge impact on my kid's #JoyOfReading

Children’s Literary Obituaries: Paying Tribute to What We Lost in 2019 — @FuseEight http://ow.ly/9xrV30q64tS #kidlit

Schools and Libraries

Thoughts from @MarlaSzwast on why you should Keep #Poetry A Priority in Your #Homeschooling https://t.co/7dh0okbi4f?amp=1

This story reminded me of riding my bike to check out books from the public library as a kid: Local #library branch now offering free bike checkouts http://ow.ly/K2wS30q8bZW @mercnews

Donate Books to Little Free Libraries | @mental_floss shares a history and suggests contributing to #LittleFreeLibraries in your neighborhood https://t.co/uf8ebtnh81?amp=1

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Literacy Milestone: Collecting Words (the Bigger, the Better)

My daughter has been writing since she could pick up a pencil, more or less. Right now she's going through a stage that I remember going through myself (though I was older): collecting words, the bigger the word, the better. I first noticed this as she was writing thank you notes for her Christmas presents. She ended up thanking my parents "supercalifragilisticexpialidociously much" for a new dress. Because "very" just wasn't cutting it anymore. 

The other day she asked me to read a story she was writing. I noticed that the story featured a girl standing on the "periphery" of the seashore, "pondering about" something. She told me that Alexa had given her "periphery" when she asked for a synonym. A later draft had a couple of word sketched in very lightly, because she planned to later fill those in with stronger synonyms. Once she discovered them, anyway. 

I was reminded of a story that I wrote in junior high, full of words like "frangible". The teacher had me read it aloud to the class. Recalling how pretentious it was makes me cringe. But I was a true lover of words. Does anyone remember the "It pays to increase your word power" feature from  Reader's Digest? I certainly do! 

I suppose it makes sense that my daughter is using the much more state of the art tool of Alexa to learn new words. Do you think she'll one day be talking about how old-fashioned it was to need a standalone AI for that? Of course, for both of us the vocabulary words that we learn and use come mostly from reading.

Not completely, though. The other day my daughter correctly used the word "cronies" in conversation. When I asked her about it, turned out she had picked that one up from a song in the school play (she had a small role in Aladdin). 

Words are everywhere. You just have to look. And listen.

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: January 6: Happy New Year Edition

Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, mainly bookworms, but also mathematicians and learners of all types. The newsletter is sent out about once a month, depending on how frequently I'm able to post on my blog. 

Newsletter Update: Happy New Year, readers! I realize that it's been a while since I sent out the newsletter (since November 13th). It was a very busy end of the year for me. I'm getting back on track now, but with some changes coming for the blog (see below). In this issue I have a post about my "one word" for 2020, a new "Bookworm Moment" for my daughter, and a post about "introvert streamers" for World Introvert Day. One thing that I have continued to do throughout my busyness is share links regarding literacy, schools, and the joy of reading. I've included the most recent roundup of those links here. The others can be found on my blog. 

Reading Update:  Since my last update, I read two middle grade and ten adult titles (eight fiction and two nonfiction). I read/listened to: 

• Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Cartoonist. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed November 14, 2019, read aloud to my daughter.
• Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Joke. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed December 13, 2019, read aloud to my daughter.
• Michael Connelly: The Night Fire (Bosch and Ballard, Book 2). Little, Brown and Co. Adult Mystery. Completed November 14, 2019, on MP3. Both main characters did things that made me cringe in this book (crossing lines). I still enjoyed it, but ... didn't like the gray areas. 
• Scott Adams: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America. Portfolio. Adult Nonfiction. Completed November 19, 2019, on MP3. I've enjoyed Adams' other books, but found this one tough to focus on  in audio. I might have preferred it in print. I'm not sure. 
• Deborah Crombie: A Bitter Feast (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series). William Morrow. Adult Mystery. Completed November 28, 2019, on Kindle. These I still love. 
• Margaret Mizushima: Tracking Game. Crooked Lane Books. Adult Mystery. Completed December 3, 2019, on MP3. This newer series I also love. 
• Dervla McTiernan: The Ruin (Cormac Reilly, Book 1). Penguin Books. Adult Mystery. Completed December 14, 2019, on MP3. This is the first of a new police procedural series set in Galway that I enjoyed enough to give as a gift for Christmas. 
• William Kent Krueger: Desolation Mountain (Cork O'Connor, No. 17). Atria Books. Adult Mystery. Completed December 21, 2019, on MP3. I'm now caught up with this series, and will have to look for a new one to start on audio. 
• Lee Goldberg: Lost Hills (Eve Ronin, Book 1). Thomas & Mercer. Adult Mystery. Completed December 26, 2019, on Kindle. This is kind of a popcorn book, but I liked it. Also the first of a new series. 
• Dervla McTiernan: The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, Book 2). Penguin Books. Adult Mystery. Completed December 30, 2019, on MP3.
• Eve Rodsky: Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 3, 2020, on Kindle. This book aligned with my "One Word" selection for 2020. I very much like the author's main point, which is that family responsibilities can only be divided equitably between spouses if each partner takes full responsibility for conception, planning  and execution of their "cards." I don't see following her process in detail, but I am going to take her advice in broader ways. 
• Janet Evanovich: Twisted Twenty-Six G. P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Mystery. Completed January 3, 2020, on MP3. I have a sense that Evanovich might be taking baby steps toward closing out this series, but I could be wrong... 

My total number of books read for the year was 123: 28 middle grade, 7 young adult, and 88 adult titles. I don't set numeric reading goals, but I will note that this is a bit lower than my usual total, which has floated closer to 150. This is a reflection of a larger number of adult titles in the mix and a bit less time for reading. My daughter ended the year with 407 books logged as read. This is very much a lower bound on her actual reading. I don't try very hard to keep up with her re-reads of her favorites, though I do try to log each new title at least once. She also sits on her own sometimes and reads picture books. I only log those if I happen to find the stack before it's put away. This is a significant drop from her total for previous years, but she is reading much longer books now. The important thing, of course, is that she is reading, not the number of books. Even more important is the fact that she is enjoying reading. That's what I care about. 

I'm reading Tiny Habits by B. J. Fogg and Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg. and listening to Past Tense by Lee Child. I'm reading My Life As A Gamer (My Life Series, Book 5) by Janet Tashjian and Jake Tashjian aloud to my daughter. We continue to enjoy these, but we took a break over her Christmas vacation. 

On her own, she remains obsessed with the Big Nate series. She got a few new (to her) titles for Christmas, and she re-reads those constantly. She is also tackling The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots, from Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals series. This YA title is a giant leap from the Big Nate books in reading level (and theme, print density, length, etc.). But she found it in my office and was captivated. She's about a quarter of the way through and finding it tough going (sad things happening, plus challenges following the plot). But she is fascinated  and determined. I offered to read the book myself, so that I could discuss it with her, but she refused. She wants to read this big book that I haven't even read. I will report back. 

I also picked out a few graphic novels for her for Christmas that she hadn't read yet. She enjoyed them reasonably well, but hasn't found any new favorites. She read Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell for school, and enjoyed that one very much. She keeps talking about it. She's also reading the first Spirit Animals book by Brandon Mull for school. She says that she likes it, and asked me to get the next one from the public library, but she hasn't picked up her current title once over vacation. I asked her about that, and she said that she likes The Wild Queen better. 

Wishing you all a healthy, happy, productive 2020, full of people and books that you love. Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms! 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Celebrating World Introvert Day with "Introvert Streamers"

I learned via Twitter yesterday that January 2nd had been dubbed World Introvert Day. Alas, I learned of this too late to do much with it for this year, but I have added it to my calendar for the future. 

I mentioned World Introvert Day to my family at dinner. My daughter jumped up from the table. "You need streamers," she said, and raced from the room. I called weakly after her that streamers aren't really what introverts are looking for in an introversion celebration. I was thinking more along the lines of a quiet room, a comfortable chair, a glass of wine, and a book. 

But she surprised and delighted me. She came back down from my office carrying a big pile of books. She plunked them down on the table next to me and said: "These are introvert streamers." 

Indeed they are. I felt understood. It was the best moment of my day. Wishing all of my fellow introverts a belated World Introvert Day. Let's celebrate next year. Alone, in our own homes, with piles of books at hand. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

#BookwormMoments: This Is How Bookworms Exercise

Recently my daughter taken to slowly roller-skating around our kitchen while reading graphic novels. When initially questioned about this behavior she said: "This is how bookworms exercise." Can't argue with that. Personally, I listen to audiobooks when I exercise, but whatever works. 

She also  rode in the shopping cart at the grocery store today, with food stacked all around her, so that she could read while I grocery shopped. Extra exercise for me, at least. 

Happy New Year! 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

My One Word for 2020: LESS

A number of bloggers that I follow choose "One Word" to strive for each year. It's a simpler version of setting resolutions, I suppose. You pick a word that speaks to where you are at the moment, and where you would like to head in the coming year. 

As to where I am at the moment, my workload for the job for which I am actually paid has increased. Juggling that together with family responsibilities, especially during the holiday season, has been challenging. The phrase that has been most often on my lips (or at least in my head) for the past couple of months is: "I don't have time." As in:

• "I'd like to wash my hair today, but I don't have time to blow-dry it."
• "I wanted to personally wrap gifts and mail them to my family members, but I didn't have time, and had to have things shipped directly."
• "I should write a blog post about this incident, but I don't have time."
• "I want to read that book, but I don't have time." 
• Etc.

My reading is down. My blog is sorely neglected. I find it nearly impossible to relax, because I'm always thinking about this or that "productive" thing that I should be doing. And I am tired of feeling like this. 

I've read a number of books in the past year about focusing, making time, changing habits, and being indistractable. Assimilating the advice of these various smart authors and thinking about how I feel right now, one word definitely comes to mind. The word is LESS. 

• Less trying to sneak in checking work emails when I'm with my daughter.
• Less running around after said daughter, trying to keep my house tidy.
• Less forcing my introverted self to socialize more than I can handle.
• And lots more.

I am unsubscribing from a number of blogs and email lists that I have been reading, in the interest of streamlining. When I think about doing something extra around the house that doesn't really need to be done (or at least doesn't need to be done solely by me, right now) I think "Less!" and try not to do it. I'm going to try to do the same thing with work. I don't know if any of this will help, but I'm trying... 

As for my blog, I'm ready to make a change that I've been thinking about for quite some time. I'm going to stop accepting review copies. I've been reviewing so few books for the past year that this won't be a visible change for my blog readers. But I've continued to receive some books, and it's past time for  me to notify the so generous publishers that they should stop spending resources on me. I'll probably still write the occasional review, but if I want a book enough to review it, I can buy it or check it out from the library. I'll still talk about books that my daughter and I are reading, and we will surely read from the stack of books that we already have for many years to come. 

If I'm successful in applying LESS to my work and personal responsibilities, then I will continue to share my own reading, my daughter's literacy milestones and bookworm moments, and articles about nurturing the joy of reading in children. 

My hope is that if I strive for LESS of the things that aren't strictly necessary and/or are wearing me down, I will have more time for things like reading and sleeping and spending quality time with my husband and daughter. That's the goal, anyway. I wish all of you success  in the coming year and decade in figuring out how to allocate your precious time. Thanks for reading!

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